Knowing the market well, having an experienced team, and making educated assumptions backed by data are things you can do to mitigate risks in real estate. 

This really helps me understand how to analyze the deal. as for the data, I tried to get the most accurate but speculative information Ive found online. 

The team has institutional experience and would gather data, analyze financials, interview the management team of the tenant company, and then document and memorialize their findings into an institutional grade credit memo.  

The listing should be on the local MLS You can always check the "data source" noted on realtor.com to see what MLS' are used in a given area. b.

Often times you are only seeing a "view" or "report" of the information available on a listings, not every single data item available.

Or it could also be bad breakers (check if it's only happening on certain circuits), defective electrical service supply/voltage fluctuations (unlikely unless the whole neighborhood is having the same problems), service entry wiring defects, a loosely connected neutral or other issue with the neutral, loose connections anywhere in the circuit with the flickering lights, or a number of other things we wouldn't know without being able to inspect the system. 

Get into the data of how our cities are changing and growing.

Where is a good place to research local demographic data for target locations, such as income growth, job growth, population growth, median rents and median income, as well as other important info? 

My instinct is telling me I'm doing things wrong: that third party sites offer neither unique data, nor fresh data, and that I'm wasting my time browsing them.

There are different places you can run data to be able to get a better idea if this will work, but the property needs to be nice and also in a good area at the end of the day.